The Clock Strikes at Midnight
by I Am Sweden
Summary: Life in the shinobi world is peaceful. War is a thing of the past, and notions of conflict have vanished in the kages' minds. However, several ninja begin dreaming of another life riddled with war and pain. Is this world their reality… or could it all be an elaborate illusion? Could they be making a mistake, trying to find the truth? AU


**Hello, and welcome to my first Naruto fic!**

**I'm going to attempt to update every week, but since this is my senior year, I'm not sure if that's going to work out with my schedule. I'll still try my best anyway. Also, this has major update spoilers. Maybe not right now, but as we go along, things will get caught up with the manga, probably as it stands to about 650 and 651. This is also AU as heck, so please don't freak out when I bring in characters that are, like, 3x long dead and gone. I've also taken a lot of liberty with the setting, making it much more technological than in canon. **

**With that out of the way, I hope you will all enjoy (and possibly leave a review?).**

**The Clock Strikes at Midnight**

**Chapter 1-**

"Remember, the genin exams are tomorrow morning, so it is imperative that you _are not late._"

Although this reminder was directed to only one academy student in particular, Umino Iruka didn't have to meet his eyes in the back of the classroom. It was no use, anyway. This blonde troublemaker was asleep as always. Iruka only spared his slumbering form a quick, withering scowl before addressing the rest of his students, mostly sat up in attention. Another of his lazier students looked ready to join Uzumaki Naruto in sleep, but Nara Shikamaru held himself up as he half listened to Iruka and half listened to his neighboring student, Akimichi Choji. If it wasn't his duty as a teacher to reprimand them, Iruka would have given up hope of ever getting these kids to pay him sufficient attention. Well… that wasn't entirely true. He would probably continue to reprimand them anyway- not because they were his students, but because they were the kids he had watched grow up. Since their introduction to the academy at seven years old, Iruka had been there for them. Now that they were thirteen and ready to join the genin level military, Iruka almost felt like a parent watching as his kids moved out of the house.

His sentimentality had always been his downfall. It was what had granted these kids leniency time and time again, ensuring that they never failed a grade and had to hang back with a younger bunch. It was thanks to Iruka that boys like Naruto, Shikamaru, and Inazuka Kiba weren't in the first level.

And tomorrow, with his blessing, he would ship them off to the academy courtyard where they would be forced to mingle with other graduating classes. Iruka felt a tiny pang of panic as he overlooked his class of twenty. Out of all of these children, Iruka only felt perfect confidence that two would pass the genin exam with flying colors. The others… also had his faith, but it was a bit lacking as he was bombarded with flashbacks of Yamanaka Ino nearly scalping Sakura the first day they learned hand-to-hand knife combat, and when Aburame Shino had, _for whatever reason_, listened to Kiba and dropped five cockroaches down the back of Hyuga Hinata's shirt. Were these kids seriously ready to enter the military, even after six years of the most basic training?

Iruka steeled his resolve, nodding assuredly to himself. Of course they would be ready. For all their antics and tricks, his problematic class had the will and determination to excel. Even Naruto, the boy with the worst grades and lowest test scores, held the dream of one day surpassing everyone. They would be okay. Everything would be totally _fi_-

Iruka's mental ramblings were cut short by a knock at the door. That got his students attention- all except Naruto, of course. Iruka bit back a sigh, resolving to keep their guest's eyes away from his unruly students.

The man entered, and Shikamaru straightened. Haruno Sakura paused her argument with Ino long enough to smile sweetly at the man. He gave her a fleeting grin, and then sent one to Uchiha Sasuke, who returned the gesture in a more subdued manner. "I apologize for interrupting. I came to report that everything is set up for tomorrow. Also, I'll be proctoring your class's written portion of the test-"

The man's head snapped to the back of the room in time to catch a now wide-awake Naruto slap his desk before Iruka had even realized that had finally woken the boy up. Even after three years of teaching academy students, he still had the reflexes of an anbu scout. Iruka was, as always, nothing short of impressed. It was no wonder even his students admired this man. Naruto's agonized wail cut through his thoughts of respect and adoration: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WRITTEN PORTION? IRUKA-SENSEI, YOU NEVER MENTIONED A WRITTEN PORTION."

"I've been mentioning it for weeks!" he snapped. Iruka was minutely aware that his guest had covered a chuckle with a slight cough, but yelling at Naruto was priority. "Every time I mention the genin exam, you go to sleep! I've gone over countless pointers and strategies, but you never listen! You're going to fail and you'll stay in my class forever at this rate!"

He flinched, but the surprise didn't last long. Naruto dropped his chin on his palms. "I ain't staying here," he grumbled. "How am I supposed to become hokage if I'm stuck at the stupid academy?"

"You can't become the hokage if you don't first become a genin," Iruka pointed out. Naruto's grimace stubbornly deepened. Having no retort to that, he stuck his tongue out and lounged back in his seat, huffily crossing his arms. With his point finally gotten across, Iruka sheepishly turned back to his guest. "Sorry about that. Thank you for coming. I'll see you tomorrow, Itachi-sensei."

Itachi nodded, giving a soft farewell, and slipped out the door in the same silent manner as he had arrived. The explosion came as soon as his footsteps disappeared down the hall. "He is so _coooooool!_" the first girl crowed. Iruka hopelessly tried to quiet her, but her declaration had already started a chain reaction. "He used to be a captain in the anbu, but after that incident with his family-" "-don't bring that up, you know Sasuke's in our class-" "-I know! We're classmates with an _Uchiha_-" "-I'm gonna marry him one day-" "-but you're _so_ not Sasuke's type."

The teacher hung his head as Sakura and Ino, over Sasuke's head, began their fifth argument of the day. Granted, allowing his students to sit where they pleased had not been his best idea. The girls crowded around Sasuke; the troublemakers sat in the back so they could better ignore his lectures and sleep. The few _good _students he had were crowded in the front row for lack of more accommodating seating. Iruka felt horrible when they had to endure the blunt of his shouting at the back row, but the damage had already been done with that fatal mistake. As per usual, he apologized to the front row, whose note-taking had been interrupted again. With another quick apology, Iruka gathered his breath and bellowed, "CLASS DISMISSED."

Assuring him that his back row bunch would do well on their mile sprints tomorrow, they were the first to exit the classroom and pile into the hall, Kiba shoving Choji out the door so he could catch up to Naruto and race him to the courtyard. Shikamaru, still managing to look as apathetic as possible, took off down the opposite corridor, pulling along Choji to prevent him from getting into another fight with Kiba. Ino blew Sasuke a kiss as she skipped outside (he didn't acknowledge the action, nor did he respond to her goodbye). Sakura stomped out after her, growling her intentions to punch her into the middle of next week.

Once Hinata, always last, also left, Iruka set to gathering up the clutter covering his desk. His weary reflection mirrored up at him from his slightly rusted desk once all loose papers and half-graded final assignments were stuffed into a briefcase. When he had first been assigned this class, Iruka had been the newest teacher at the academy. Everyone assured him the adorable little children in his class were the best, and that they were jealous. If only Iruka hadn't been so naïve as to actually believe them. Three days into class, Iruka was entertained by thoughts of kicking those "adorable" seven-year-olds out of the building. The few that were innocent were quickly corrupted by the others. If Iruka wasn't dependent on the pay he received for teaching, he definitely would have quit after the first week.

He stepped into the elevator, lounging back against the handrail. The view of the cliffs surrounding the city of Konoha was as magnificent as always. Old buildings from a century before still held tight to the wall, their renovations glistening amongst dulled paint and cracking wood. The rest of the city welled in undulations: in areas of bigger business, skyscrapers invaded his view of the blue sky; in residential sectors, houses rose and fell, integrating the upper and lower classes as there was limited room for further building within the city limits. Nearly everyone, himself included, lived in apartments situated overhead shops or restaurants.

The courtyard still held activity as students met with parents or friends with whom they'd return home. Other senior teachers congregated in their own corners of the courtyard, but Iruka merely waved farewell to a few and continued on his way. As usual, he didn't have time to stay after hours for very long. It had been a long standing tradition of his to eat ramen with Naruto every other afternoon. Iruka was positive he and his favorite (albeit most troublesome) student were Ichiraku's best customers. He felt bad for picking a favorite student, but it wasn't like he showed anyone specific attention in the class room. Also, he always bought holiday and birthday gifts for his students, so there was that. Iruka inwardly sighed again as he realized he would never get to do that again after tomorrow. This would likely be the last day he would treat Naruto to ramen, too.

After he somberly left school grounds, he entered a far less busy street. People still milled about, but there were too many streets in the city for one to become too crowded. Main Street may have been an entirely different subject, but even there did peace reign. Konoha and its citizens had lived in peace for a century after its founding in the Fire Country. Blessed with such a warless age, the city was able to grow and flourish culturally and economically. Compared to other countries and the major cities within them, Konoha was the most technologically advanced. Thanks to the third and fourth hokages, it was also one of the cleanest cities in the country. The latest hokages had stressed the importance of natural life in the city, so any space not attributed to business or houses were bursting with green life. Glimmering trees lined sidewalks, and flowers nearly overpowered the weeds thanks to the efforts of various interest groups.

Iruka paused when he reached the ramen shop's store front. It was a traditional restaurant, and a very small one, too. The shop had no entrance doorway, instead leaving the backs of customers exposed to quiet breezes and summer light. It was normally a quaint, quiet place. _Normally_ being the key word. Iruka felt the energy being sucked right out of him when he noticed a perfect line of all too familiar backs, the last of which made him physically droop. His sigh alerted his guests to his presence. Naruto spun around in his seat, grin wide and goggles drooping. He situated his trademark look and cheered. "He's here, guys!"

It seems inviting his favorite and worst student to lunch had finally come back to bite him the same away his lack of seating arrangement had. When the rest of the class's worst turned around, Iruka knew he would not be having the stress-free afternoon he had so fondly envisioned.

He sat next to a madly giggling Naruto and soberly ordered his usual. "I suppose you want me to help you guys study for tomorrow?" he blandly sighed.

"It's not like we didn't bring help," Naruto retorted, gesturing to the man at the end of the line.

Iruka met the blonde's ecstatic wave with a look of confusion. He knew he was just as ecstatic and backwards as his son, but this absurd disguise was on an entirely new level. "Lord Fourth, why are you wearing a mustache?"

Minato Namikaze's eyes went wide, cutting his wave short. "I'm that obvious? Darn. Anyway, I had to sneak out of the office to help with this studying thing. Kushina put up seals all over the city, alerting her when I use ninjutsu to sneak out instead of doing work. She strictly forbade me from leaving until it was finished, but I can't just leave the kids hanging. What sort of example am I setting if I don't help our little buds grow?"

"Aw, dad, don't call us that! It's demeaning! We're from the _military_ academy!"

"A military academy that's pretty useless, if you ask me. The city hasn't needed us for anything more than minor offenses the police don't bother to take care of. The police handle the worst stuff. And besides, Lord Fourth, if all you ever do is paperwork, why would anyone want to be hokage? It's such a drag," Shikamaru muttered, pushing the last of his bowl over to Choji, who eagerly accepted the offering. In between slurps, Choji nodded his agreement.

"Being hokage is the greatest!" Naruto burst, throwing his arms wide. He nearly smacked Iruka and Kiba, but they were well versed in the art of handling the unruly boy's outbursts. "A hokage is the city's hero! We might be living in peace now, but what if something horrible happens again, like the Great Shinobi War? Dad will have to lead everyone into battle and kick the bad guys' butts!"

Minato nervously laughed, patting his son's identically chaotic hair. "I doubt we'll be going to war any time soon, Naruto. The shinobi villages became friends after the great Hashirama and Madara created the truce and ended the war. Not that we're really villages anymore, of course. The second and third hokages after Hashirama made peace with the other villages and cities over time, too. So unless someone gets really ticked off with me or the city, you're safe."

"And Suna of the Wind Country is our best ally, isn't that right, Lord Fourth?" Iruka pressed. Since they were on the subject, this was the best time to study some history. Tomorrow's written exam consisted of history and math. Since Iruka had no doubt that everyone present would bomb the math questions (except Shikamaru if he actually put forth the effort), cramming as much last-minute history in their heads could keep them from totally failing.

The hokage nodded. "Our relationship couldn't be better because they supply the village with most of its energy. In return, we export our produce to them. Konoha and Suna's truce was the first alliance of the new age after the Great Shinobi War a hundred years ago. Suna was the village closest to ours, so it was imperative that we be the first to make amends. Alliances with the other countries and villages came shortly after. The first hokage, Senju Hashirama and his most trusted advisors, Uchiha Madara and his brother Izuna, were the ones who made all of this possible."

"Wait, Madara and Izuna were Uchihas?" Naruto burst. Iruka could barely contain his excitement. Naruto had just _learned _something! Why hadn't he thought of asking the hokage to visit his class earlier? Naruto couldn't very well sleep through one of his father's lessons!

"Of course. The Senju and the Uchiha clans were the prominent figureheads in the Fire Country before and during the Great Shinobi War. When Hashirama and Madara brought peace to each other's clans, it ended the war. Although the Senju clan eventually scattered and integrated into other clans, the Uchiha remained a united political force in the village. That's why their clan is the most famous family in the city. You know how Fugaku and Mikoto always visit? They're there to help me with internal and external city affairs, since they're at the head of the clan. Fugaku is also the chief of police, so it's imperative for us to remain in constant contact so we can better monitor city safety regimens. As you can see, my job doesn't just consist of paperwork and dealing with nagging advisors, Shikamaru," Minato explained. Shikamaru didn't respond except to nod. Iruka was glad he had enough respect to refrain from rolling his eyes. The fourth hokage continued, "Even if we are in a time of peace, the slightest mishap could change politics overnight. If that happens and our city is not in perfect order, we could be attacked, and the possibility of war would arise. But as I said earlier, the other kages and I usually always agree, and our cities are co-dependent on one another. Something drastic would have to occur to change things."

Shikamaru _tsked_ and withdrew the last of his allowance. Choji happily slapped him on the back in thanks and ordered his fourth bowl of ramen. Kiba rolled his eyes at the exchange and poured the rest of his water into his empty bowl for Akamaru. The puppy, just as gleefully as Choji, accepted the friendly offering. Regaining all of their attention, Minato sighed. "Watching you three reminds me of when I was in the academy with your parents. Shikaku always paid for Choza's lunch. Your mom usually blew us off, though, Kiba. She hated school and all of us."

"You were a loser in school too?" Naruto excitedly asked. Iruka barely caught himself before he rolled his eyes. Of course, Naruto was proud to be a failure. He claimed that his ascension to hokage would be all the more meaningful if he started at the very bottom. And at the very bottom he was. Iruka hid his sigh in his nearly empty ramen bowl. He was most concerned for Naruto.

"YOU'RE THE ONLY LOSER HERE, NARUTO!" Kiba indignantly barked, huffily turning his nose away from the bratty blonde.

Minato nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Actually… we were the top of our class. Shikaku was the best, and Inochi was always ranked second, no matter how much studying he did to try and one-up your dad, Shikamaru. It was a bit of a smack in the face when they were grouped in a squad together. I don't know why they found it such a surprise. The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans' kids are usually grouped together because of how well their abilities operate in unison. It's been that way since the Great Shinobi War."

Shikamaru groaned. "We're going to be stuck with Ino?" he whined. "We'll never hear the end of it about Sasuke."

"I hope I don't get paired with any of the girls in class," Naruto muttered. "All of them are obsessed with stupid Uchiha. I don't get what they see in him. He's ugly, and he's stupid, and he's a total kiss-up when his brother's around."

"He's also the chief of police's and your mother's best friend's son," Minato interrupted. Naruto froze. Slowly, with wide and horrified eyes, he turned to his father. The fourth hokage nodded to verify he had indeed just stated that Sasuke Uchiha was on his way to becoming the new head of the Uchiha clan. "And when you two were little, you used to be playmates. If you don't believe me, your mom has pictures-"

Naruto squealed in terror, shrilly begging his father to shut up before he further embarrassed him. Minato merely laughed, leaning away from his son's imploring whining. Once Naruto had calmed down into a grimace, Minato shrugged. "He can't be that bad. And besides that, he's a fellow shinobi, as are the girls in class. Even if they don't end up in a squad with you, you'll still work together to protect the city and the Fire Country. Your fellow students aren't just friends and rivals, they are your comrades. No matter how much you like or dislike someone, the time will come when you must fight alongside that person. There are greater evils in the world than a popular kid."

"Greater evils that the hokage should be working to defeat?"

Minato flinched and Naruto ducked away from the voice with a wince. Uzumaki Kushina huffily put her hands on her hips, casting her husband and son a withering scowl. Perhaps the city's most infamous woman thanks to her temper, Kushina was a person everyone knew. Her fame came partly from being the fourth hokage's wife, but mostly from her trademark ruby red hair that seemed to glow in the evening sun's final rays. Her hair was pinned up in a professional manner, so she had likely just come from a city council meeting. After heading up to Minato's office and finding him missing, she likely left in a fury. Iruka didn't doubt she knew this was the first place to which Minato would sneak off. When she turned her gaze on Iruka, he instinctively straightened. He inwardly let out a relieved huff when she smiled. "Hello, Iruka-sensei! I guess you're here for some tutoring? This is no doubt Naruto's fault, and I apologize for his horrible grades. No matter how much I push him, he refuses to take the time to study. He's too much like his father, you see. His father the _hokage_, who I'm sure is aware of the papers that keep multiplying on his desk?"

"I came here to assist Iruka?" Minato weakly grinned. Kushina turned her fiery gaze back to him. Instead of lecturing him, she merely shook her head. Naruto and Minato shared the slightest hopeful glance as the woman closed her eyes, mentally counting in an attempt to calm herself.

When Kushina opened her eyes, they were free of the fire present just moments ago. "Fine. I'll vouch for you this time, Minato. But if you don't listen to your teacher and father and fail your exams tomorrow, Naruto, I'm grounding you for a month and you'll only get vegetables for dinner for _three _months." After her threat had been taken to heart, she sweetly waved farewell to a terrified Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Iruka.

Naruto and Minato waited until Kushina had rounded the block before loudly exhaling. They slapped each other a high five and settled back into their story as if their near-death experience hadn't even occurred. Iruka grinned as the fourth hokage entertained his students with stories of the past, riddled with the excitement and adrenaline rushes that accompanied war. He told them of the honor victory brought an army, but also of the sorrow and loss that came even to those who won the battle. "Because there is no way to fight a war and not lose something dear to you," Minato seriously warned. "The glory and honor are great, but the price to obtain that status is a painful thing to pay. That is why shinobi should not seek the way of battle or of war, but the way of peace. When we must fight, we fight for the ones we love. We seek to protect what is precious to us, be it friends, family, our home, or all of that combined. When you pass tomorrow's test and become genin, you all must remember what being a shinobi truly means."

After hearing that speech, Iruka's students had a new spark in their eyes. He was certain they would definitely pass tomorrow's exams- perhaps not for themselves, but for their beloved city's sake.

Iruka was sad to see them leave the restaurant, turning off down separate streets towards their warm and happy homes. Minato threw his arm across Naruto's shoulders, gesturing vaguely as he gave his own fatherly advice. Kiba and Akamaru looked as if they were racing one another, while Shikamaru and Choji leisurely took their time, fondly gazing up at the stars as they went.

((((()))))

Naruto could hear the test laughing at him as Itachi passed them down each row. He couldn't quite make himself sit completely still, either. His foot tapped on the ground. When he caught himself, he found either the foot tapping or his fingers drumming on his desk. He could tell Ino was getting severely annoyed with his nervous fidgeting, but he paid her no mind. It wasn't his fault they had been moved to sit in alphabetical order.

That lovely reminder made him grimace as Sasuke inconspicuously sighed to his left. "Shut up," Naruto mumbled, giving him an irritated side glance.

"Then stop making so much noise," he whispered in severe reply. Unlike Naruto and several others in the room, he felt no apprehension or anxiety. It wasn't like he would for something as silly as a test, of course. Stupid Sasuke was the best in class. Probably because he got special treatment for being a big-shot's son and another teacher's brother, Naruto thought. It wasn't fair. If Sasuke got such special attention, so should he. His father was the hokage, for crying out loud! Speaking of that, shouldn't his father's status have made him popular in class? Where was Haruno Sakura, pining after _him?_ Unlike Sasuke, who'd probably grow up to be a lousy policeman like everyone else in his dumb clan, Naruto was going to be hokage one day. He would be responsible for fighting _all_ the bad guys. With him in office, there probably wouldn't be a need for the police department!

"Stop pretending you're so important," Naruto harrumphed.

Sasuke's sigh was more audible as he exasperatedly crossed his arms. "Why are you even in this academy? You're the biggest failure Konoha has ever seen. Kiba's doghas a better chance of becoming hokage than you."

Red flared to Naruto's cheeks. He was finally able to cease his tapping as he whirled on his neighbor with a glare. "I _will _become hokage, no matter what. And I'm going to kick your butt on this test, and during the other tests, too."

"You can't even do the clone jutsu, loser."

"I CAN _TOO!_"

"There's room in the closet for disruptive students to take their test. Room for _two_."

Sasuke and Naruto froze at the voice. They shamefully looked away from each other, muttering begrudging apologies to Itachi and to each other. Once all tests had been passed out, Itachi sat at Iruka's desk and pulled up a newspaper. "If we're finished belittling our fellow shinobi, you may begin," he said, eyes red with the Sharingan flickering above the paper. Naruto couldn't help but gulp at the sight. Now that he thought about it, getting the cheating-proof teacher to proctor a written exam was probably one of the best decisions the academy had ever made. Itachi could notice every minute movement with those freakish eyes, and not even Naruto was dense or brave enough to test his willingness to shove someone in a closet.

Itachi was way cooler than stupid Sasuke.

Speaking of the Chicken Butt Head, Naruto tossed Sasuke one final glare before swallowing hard, steeling his resolve, and turning over the test paper. He gawked at the string of math problems lining one side of the test, and at the factual history on the other side. Without even bothering to try and tackle the algebra yet, he read the first history question. So long as his dad knew what he was talking about last night, Naruto was confident he could at least do well in this section. He broke into a grin once he noticed he had written actual answers for all of them so far instead of skipping around and panicking like usual. He smirked when he cast another glance to Sasuke. The stupid head didn't pay him any attention, but Naruto could just feel the irritability rolling off him.

He was going to cream this guy, the _real _loser.

((((()))))

Sweet Lord, there was _no way_ he could cream Sasuke. Naruto felt like smacking himself as he rounded the sixth lap around the courtyard for thinking something so absurd. There were still three more laps to go before his three mile run was finished, and Sasuke was on his last lap. Just like his attention in class, it wasn't fair that he could run faster, because he obviously had experience from running away from his fan girls! If Naruto had fan girls- or at least Sakura-, he could have easily taken the lead in front of Sasuke. He had extra training, and it _wasn't fair._

Naruto huffed and puffed his way around the laps, managing to pass only Hinata, breathing even harder than he was. "Keep it up!" he called as he jogged past her. He flashed a pearly smile and gave her a thumbs up. She returned the smile, but Naruto didn't quiet catch it before he left her in his wake.

((((()))))

Every other test had them back in alphabetical order. Naruto had stopped caring about how passing these tests would make him a genin- since that first written portion, the only thing on his mind was beating Sasuke. He had yet to outmatch him in anything, but that didn't mean Naruto was the biggest loser! Heck no! There was still the ninjutsu assessment. It was by far the easiest of all the exams, since everyone just had to make a clone of themselves and then use the transformation jutsu to change into the fourth hokage. The last part was going to be a breeze. Naruto didn't need transformation jutsu to look like his father- at least three times every day, his mother would groan and mutter, "Just like your father, looks and everything."

If he was just like his father, then he was as good as the hokage. Surely that meant he was better than Sasuke, right?

Gritting his teeth, he willed himself to do faster push-ups. This would be it. He'd do more push-ups than Sasuke in a minute and he'd beat him. Sakura would love _him._ Thinking of her got him even more motivated. If Naruto could just best Sasuke at this one thing…-

Iruka called the time. Naruto sat up and expectantly looked to Shikamaru, counting how many push-ups he did. Incredulously, his friend shook his head. "I don't know how _you _could do it, but you got one hundred and four. How could you possibly do one hundred and four?"

Naruto victoriously punched the air. He elbowed Sasuke and crowed, "One hundred and _four._"

The other boy merely smirked.

"One hundred and _five._"

((((()))))

After all exams were done, they were sent to the lunch hall. Perhaps for the last time, the soon-to-be genin sat in their respective corners with their usual groups. Naruto angrily slurped up his ramen, totally ignoring Kiba's recount of how he finished his mile just seconds before Shino. Apparently it felt awesome to beat one of the best students. "Stop sulking, geez," Ino huffed, crossing her arms. She finally peeled her eyes away from Sasuke long enough to scowl at Naruto. "You've done better than most of us. Unless you bombed the written exam, you're definitely passing. I think all of us are."

"That's not the point," he dejectedly muttered.

She rolled her eyes and swatted Choji's creeping hand away from the rest of her barbecue pork. "Did you seriously expect to beat Sasuke? Come _on_, no one can best him. He's Uchiha!"

"Yeah, but my dad's the Yellow Flash! Obviously family ties mean squat, or I'd have creamed him long ago. It's just… I don't know. I didn't want to be a _total_ failure today," he ended with a huff, dejectedly looking towards Sakura, laughing along with some of the other girls at the end of the table.

Ino followed his gaze and rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you see in Billboard Brow over there. She's not pretty, and she's only smart because she has no life and spends every waking moment studying like a loser. She's pretty much the worst in class when it comes to taijutsu, too."

"You're just saying that because she likes Sasuke, too," Naruto sighed, dropping his face on his crossed arms. "You guys used to be friends a couple years ago."

The blonde cleared her throat, quickly changing the subject away from that. While she was distracted by her thoughts, Choji victoriously gobbled up her last piece of pork. While he shouted in victory, leading to Ino's shouts of furious protest, Naruto wearily sighed, propping his head back up to catch one last look at Sakura. She really was beautiful, no matter that sour Ino claimed. Her pale pink hair always ensured all eyes were turned to her first and foremost. She also had lovely green eyes, framed by the minute smile-lines she tried and failed to cover up with make-up. Naruto didn't get what was the big deal. Baby wrinkles like that were okay, because they showed her bubbly personality.

Naruto was suddenly pulled from his rosy reverie by Kiba shaking his shoulder. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "They're calling us to the courtyard. I think we're about to get our headbands," he excitedly burst. Akamaru ecstatically barked in agreement, biting onto Naruto's sleeve and pulling him up and out of his seat. With a whoop of approval, they impatiently shuffled out the door, sure to keep up with Ino, fighting her way to Sasuke before Sakura could get to him.

The sun was blinding when Naruto broke through the throng crowded around the double-doors leading to the courtyard. When he blinked enough to clear the spots from his vision, Naruto was met with the sight of all the academy teachers, several jonin he had never seen before, and his father, speaking with one of the silver-haired jonin. When the silver-haired man gestured toward the congregation of academy graduates, Minato took his place in the middle of the line. It was difficult to remain patient as the lagging students took their time in joining everyone else. It took even longer for everyone to arrange themselves into organized rows and columns. Naruto had taken up tapping his foot in anticipation while they situated themselves. Finally, Minato spoke into the microphone placed before him, congratulating them and commending them for their hard work. Naruto was blindsided for a moment. So… no one failed? But there was no way everyone in his class had passed the written exam, and several others had done even worse than him in the physical portions.

His doubt was turned into wonder when Minato said, "As some of you may have already figured out, the exams you took today were not graded to determine whether you passed or failed. Instead, the results were used to determine which three genin could perform the best together in mission situations. Most of your teachers and I already had good ideas of who should be grouped together, but for others, today was necessary. Inadvertently, you also proved today your adaptability and determination to excel. Even if the test was rigged so you couldn't fail, I don't doubt each of you would have passed anyway. Before you are dismissed back to your classes and given instructions on where to meet with your new squad leaders, I would like to offer one last word of advice. No matter whom you find yourself working alongside, you must remember that he or she is a fellow leaf shinobi. On missions or in the heat of battle, you must overcome your personal grudges and fight alongside that person. Without cooperation and teamwork, you _will_ fail. Now, don't misunderstand: although we are in times of peace, there will be times when you are faced with a life or death situation. For all of the good in the world, there is still evil to behold. Be sure to weigh which is more important- fighting your comrades, or fighting your real enemy. One day you may find that the people you once believed you hated are truly the only people on whom you can depend, and that day could be the day you watch your friends die."

Minato smiled out at the kids' attentive gazes. "Your futures are still far away, so it's hard to say this honestly, but I believe your generation will do more good for the world than us old geezers ever could. If anyone has inherited the first hokage's Will of Fire, it's this class. I have great expectations for all of you and I hope to hear great things from your squad leaders and the university professors."

With his speech given, the fourth hokage stepped back into line. A teacher Naruto didn't quite know took his place, dismissing them back to their classes for the last time. Shikamaru threw an arm across Choji's shoulders as they filed back inside, following their class's throng back to their third-floor classroom. "What a big load of crap," he dryly complained. "If I knew the exams were useless, I would've just flunked everything for sake of finishing early. Besides, we were one of those pre-determined squads anyway. Lord Fourth said as much yesterday."

"Maybe he changed his mind," Choji proposed, though he didn't sound very hopeful himself. "There's always the possibility that we got Hinata instead of Ino."

"She's okay because she's not obsessed with Sasuke, but she's still pretty lame."

"We're pretty lame too, you know."

"Yeah. I know."

Naruto marched alongside the others, his arms crossed behind his head. Unlike Shikamaru and Choji, he hadn't gotten hints from his dad as to whom he'd have to work with. He had purposefully kept it a secret, having either hid the papers regarding squads or given them to Iruka. He wasn't particularly bothered by the surprise. Naruto figured he'd be stuck with Kiba or Hinata or another fellow class loser. According to his dad's speech, the squad members would be grouped according to their grades and stuff. The worst would be piled together and set apart from the best. The most severe jonin would probably lead the worst groups' squads while groups with top of the class students like stupid Sasuke would probably let them off easy because they were already apparently tons better than everyone else.

Somehow, Iruka had arrived in the classroom before any of his former students. He stood by his desk, leafing through bright, crisp papers covered in graphs and lists of scores. At the bottom of each, as far as Naruto could see, was another list composed of three genin and their mentor. Naruto caught sight of his name, but it was that moment that Iruka decided to put the stack back on his desk, refusing Naruto access to spoilers. He grumbled to himself as he took his usual seat in the back.

"So… this is the last time we'll ever meet up like this again," Iruka began. Naruto straightened at his tone. He couldn't be sure, but… were there tears starting to pool in his teacher's eyes? Something panged within him, making his chest feel heavy. Seeing Iruka on the verge of breaking down finally made the fact that this was _the end_ truly sink in. Last night was the last time he would ever eat ramen with Iruka while he half-heartedly chided his grades yet encouraged him to keep trying, because he had faith that Naruto would definitely become the fifth hokage once his dad retired. Iruka was the only person to take his dream seriously. Even his father, though he'd smile and assure him he believed in him, always wore a pitying kind of look. He didn't think Naruto would really rise above his shoddy academy grades and become someone awesome- at least, not someone awesome enough to become hokage one day.

Before Naruto even realized it, he was sniffling in the back as Iruka stuttered about, flickering gazes up to him and his other favorite students. "I-I don't have anything else to teach you, but I promise I'll still be here to help you all if you need it. I'll treat you guys to ramen, and you can tell me how your missions are going. I can tell you guys all the stories I know about the university professors. Like Orochimaru- the head of the medical division? He's kind of an oddball, but he's a good guy. And Ibiki who oversees the intelligence division- he's harsh on the outside, but he's also nice once you get to know him better. There's also a loose ceiling panel in the fourth floor janitor's closet in the east wing, and me and some of the others used to sneak out of class that way, but I better not hear about any of you doing that."

Iruka finally caught himself, anxiously waving his hand. "But I've wasted enough of your time. When I call your name, please come up and take one of these slips of paper-" he waved them in the air and several different room numbers flapped, "-and you can meet your mentor."

Iruka sent his students out the door with a farewell too final for Naruto's tastes. It was difficult to keep his own eyes dry as he watched his teacher's hands shake. When his turn came, Naruto kept his gaze on the floor. Iruka handed him a piece of paper with TEAM SEVEN written in the top corner. ROOM 212 was written beneath it. The only name on the paper was his. "You're going to do great things, Naruto," Iruka told him. Naruto nodded, not quite trusting his voice to reply without cracking. "I'm always here if you need someone to eat ramen with, and I expect to be the first person to hear about your accomplishments. Also, that tidbit about the loose ceiling panel was directed at you. No skipping class. The things you'll learn from Kakashi and the university teachers are _important._"

"Who's Kakashi?"

"You'll see when you go to room 212. You better hurry, Naruto. Your other squad members are already there."

More assuredly, Naruto nodded. He gave Iruka a salute, and his former teacher returned the gesture with a sad grin. Naruto stopped at the door of classroom and faced the last few students left in class. "The next time you guys see me, my face will be on the cliff side, and I'll be hokage! Believe it!"

((((()))))

That sudden burst of courage dissipated step by step as he walked through and out of more crowded hallways. He started to grow nervous when he found the last hallway he had to walk was empty. Had Iruka given him the right room? Still, he persevered, creeping his way through the shadowy corridor. Rooms 214 and 213 were empty and dark, with the doors shut tight. 212's door, however, was ajar. Naruto double-checked the room number and his slip of paper. For better or worse, the numbers were identical. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his resolve and kicked the door open. "UZUMAKI NARUTO IS HERE!" he shouted, jumping in with a grand entrance. When he didn't get Kiba's sarcastic round of applause, Naruto opened his eyes.

He nearly choked at the sight. None other than stupid, pathetic Sasuke sat in the middle of the room, glaring down at him. Sitting by a window, staring longingly at him, was Sakura. Naruto looked between the two of them, utterly confused. "What are you guys doing here? This is where my team is supposed to meet."

Sasuke frowned. "…Team seven?"

Naruto, dreading this revelation, looked down at the paper. TEAM SEVEN was still ostentatiously typed at the top. Struggling to find the words to properly convey his horror, he turned to Sakura, who had finally looked away from Sasuke long enough to grimace at him. "Team seven?" he weakly asked.

"I wouldn't be here otherwise," she sighed. "Are you sure Iruka didn't give the wrong paper to you? Why would the class loser be paired up with the top of the class? If Lord Fourth thinks we're going to spend every waking moment tutoring you-"

"I don't need your stupid tutoring. I'm not stupid! I _chose _not to do well in class. Because when I become hokage, it'll be extra meaningful because I rose from the bottom and fought my way to the top! It's you guys who'll be needing my guidance!" he huffily argued, stubbornly crossing his arms. "I'll be the best hokage the city has ever seen- just you wait!"

"You're full of more hot air than the city has ever seen," Sasuke muttered, leaning back in his seat. He had his legs propped up on the desk and his arms crossed over his chest. Just seeing his completely uninterested composure ticked Naruto off. He was definitely going to confront his dad about this later, demanding to know what the heck had possessed him to put him in a group with _Uchiha Sasuke_, of all people. It didn't matter if their mothers were best friends or they had once played together as slobbery toddlers- at the present, Sasuke was enemy number one, no matter how many lectures his father threw at him. Nothing would ever change that until Sasuke stepped off his high horse. Of course, it was nice of him to pair him with Sakura, but it was still unfair, because there was no way she would pay attention to him with Stupid Head hanging around all the time.

And where the heck was their jonin- this mysterious Kakashi guy? Something tugged at the edges of Naruto's mind, whispering that he did know who Kakashi was. It had just been a while since they had last seen each other. But that didn't make sense- Naruto rarely met any of the shinobi under his father's command, much less any university-level jonin. The few he had seen were either his classmates' parents or some of his parents' close friends. Naruto was sure he would have remembered a face to go along with the name if Kakashi had been any of the above.

Choosing to ignore Stupid Head's caustic remarks and Sakura's annoyed sigh, Naruto took the seat closest to the door and farthest from Sasuke. He refused to look at either of his traitorous new teammates, instead deciding to glare at the door in hopes that Kakashi would magically fizzle into existence in the next three seconds.

((((()))))

Kakashi hadn't magically fizzled into existence after the first three seconds of Naruto willing him to do so.

Half an hour had to have passed since Naruto arrived in room 212. None of the three had really spoken to one another, and Sakura had apparently grown bored of trying to imagine what a shirtless Sasuke would look like. Likewise, Naruto had grown exhausted of thinking up dozens of scenarios that would end up with Sasuke jumping out a window to leave him and Sakura alone to kiss. He did not care what Sasuke had been thinking up to keep him occupied. Too restless to sit still for long, Naruto had wandered around the classroom, inspecting the desks and back closets. There was nothing of great interest- the dusty interims were solely occupied by a few stray papers and some old cleaning equipment.

Wait a minute.

Naruto reopened the closet door, looking towards the back for the bucket he had just caught sight of. It was a slightly cracked plastic bucket of small stature, but it could serve its purpose. Naruto grinned to himself as he pulled it out of the darkness and skipped back to the front of the room where a water faucet sat in the corner. He could feel Sasuke and Sakura's curious eyes boring into his back, but he paid them little attention as he filled the bucket as much as he could before water could start seeping through the cracks. Carefully, he carried the bucket and a chair over to the door.

"What are you doing?" Sakura piped up in alarm once she deduced his mischievous intentions. As he carefully positioned the bucket at the top of the door where it could fall on their rude mentor's head as soon as he arrived, Naruto heard her seat scoot back, as if she were getting up to come reprimand him.

"Let him do it," Sasuke's voice intoned. "Serves this guy right to make us wait like this. Everyone else has probably gone home."

"You can't be serious!" Sakura shrilled. Naruto bit back a snicker at the sound of her actually _disagreeing _with something the Great Sasuke uttered. Maybe there had been some truth to the outrageous story that he and Sasuke had once been toddler-buddies.

Once he was sure his trap was stable, he stepped back to examine his work. "And now we wait."

((((()))))

Naruto was just about to give into the call of unconsciousness when the sound of soft footsteps interrupted his world of silence. Beside him, Sasuke and Sakura also perked up at the promising sound. They sat up straighter in their seats and faced the door. The footsteps paused at the door. Naruto craned his neck and caught a peek of a blue uniform with an olive vest- proper ranking-shinobi attire. His eyes trailed up to the water bucket. The door creaked open, revealing a flash of silver hair-

_Wait a minute, I know that silver hair. That silver hair was talking to my dad earlier, acting like they were good friends. Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh cr-_

Kakashi opened the door wider and down the bucket fell as Naruto bolted to his feet and yelled, "NO!"

He blinked as a drenched log fell to the floor. Someone cleared their throat at the front of the room. Naruto faced the silver-haired man, lounging against the chalkboard, his nose stuck in a book. "It's a little rude to prank a stranger, don't you think?"

Mortified, Naruto plopped back down in his seat. Instantly, Sakura's hand shot up. "I-I wasn't involved, I promise!"

Kakashi chuckled. _Chuckled. _He marked his place with a thin ribbon and put his book away in a pocket on his vest. Slightly crinkled dark eyes met Sakura's, and she sheepishly lowered her arm. Naruto couldn't tell if he was angry or laughing at them, because he had half of his face, including his mouth, covered. Curiosity pelted endless questions at him, but Naruto kept them locked down as those dark eyes roved over him next. He could have sworn he heard Kakashi quietly _humph _as he moved on to Sasuke, but, like with his eyes, Naruto couldn't tell if that was an indication of disgust or recognition.

"Well, haven't I gotten the interesting crowd. Here we have the heirs to the Haruno and Uchiha clans and the fourth hokage's son. How exchange some more formal introductions outside? It's such a nice day and it's a bit stuffy in here." Without any other warning, Kakashi spun on his heel and carefully stepped over the wet puddle and his substitution jutsu's log. His students uncertainly got up and followed after him, sparing each other confused glances.

Their strange mentor led them to the academy's roof. From this height, Naruto had a marvelous view of the sprawling city. He could see his house- also the location of the hokage's office- as well as the prestigious university situated beside it. It was one of the tallest buildings on this side of the city, and it was more than a little intimidating. But he was Uzumaki Naruto and nothing scared him, so he shook the apprehension off and plopped down on one of the benches.

"For our first group assignment, we're going to get to know each other. I want you to say something that you like, something you hate, what your aspirations for the future are, and what your hobbies are. I'll start first. I'm Hatake Kakashi, and I enjoy not being hit with falling objects, such as buckets filled with water. I'm not fond of curry or the color green. I haven't thought much of what I'll do when I retire, but I think I'll probably stay in the village. I suppose my hobby is reading."

Naruto shot his hand in the air. Kakashi nodded to him, signaling it was his turn. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen, I don't like vegetables, I'm going to be the next hokage, and I like playing video games."

With a withering sigh, Sakura took her turn next. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I love Sasuke and I hate this kid. When I get older, I want to be like Lady Tsunade, the greatest kunoichi in Konoha's history. My hobby is reading, too."

Sasuke looked like he'd rather be anywhere but up on the roof with these idiots when it was his turn to share. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I like being _alone_. I'm not too fond of the idea of replacing my brother as heir to the clan, but I guess surpassing him is a decent aspiration. I enjoy going fishing with my brother."

Sakura seemed completely undeterred by his iteration that he didn't particularly like her stalking him all the time. Instead, it must have given her the wrong idea, for she scooted closer to him. Naruto wistfully pouted, wishing it was _him _she wanted to sit with.

"It's nice to see we'll all be working well with each other," Kakashi said, voice devoid of any hint of humor. Naruto, once again, had the feeling he was speaking sarcastically but couldn't be sure. This guy was going to drive him crazy if he kept this up. "We'll start training first thing tomorrow morning. Meet up at the training grounds beside the park at five a.m.- don't be late. You might not want to eat breakfast. It wouldn't do have you getting sick on me." Again, with no goodbye, he abruptly turned and left.

Naruto sent Sasuke a glare and waved farewell Sakura, who predictably ignored him.

He rolled his eyes at the rejection. If Kakashi had the delusion they could work together, he had another thing coming, believe it.


End file.
